Atlanta Public Schools brought Perkins+Will in for the renovation of a 14,000 square foot (1,301 square meter) existing building and a 45,000 square foot (4,181 square meter) addition, forming a 450-student elementary school to be located on a sensitive site in the Historic Landmark neighborhood of Olmstead. The new school building houses the core classrooms, some administrative space, and the cafeteria. Other administrative offices, the media center, art room, and music rooms are located in the renovated structure.

To complement one of the existing structures, we designed a “carriage house” pavilion for the kindergarten classes. Behind it, the pavilion connects to a simple glass classroom building housing the bulk of the program.

Springdale Park Elementary School is the first LEED® certified school in the Atlanta Public School district. This nurturing, light-filled environment is a marriage of historic residential and modern educational architecture.

The reuse of two historically relevant structures on the site is just the beginning of the sustainable priorities of this project. It also has at least 20% recycled content and 10% locally manufactured building materials and an array of energy-saving systems including a ground-source heat exchange field, also a first for the Atlanta Public Schools. Additionally, the green roof on the back addition of the elementary school opens onto the student corridor, giving students more access to light and nature. These visible environmentally friendly features are important learning tools for young students.